Sustainable Poquoson neighborhood slow to catch on

POQUOSON — When Stu Rose originally conceived the idea of building an eco-friendly, sustainable community in Poquoson more than 10 years ago, he thought the concept would quickly gain traction.

Instead, development of the neighborhood, called Garden Atriums, off Wythe Creek Road, has moved at a slower pace. Rose, the developer and a resident of the neighborhood, had hoped the seven-lot community would be built out in two or three years, but construction of the sixth home finished in late 2011 and the seventh lot remains empty.

Rose admits the neighborhood might not have the broader appeal he'd hoped for. He's now targeting his marketing efforts to more specific demographics — mainly academic types who might be more familiar with or interested in sustainable living.

Despite the sluggish reception, Rose has continued to push forward with new ways to create a sustainable lifestyle for him and his wife, Trina Duncan, as well as their neighbors. Most recently Rose purchased an electric Smart car with plans to offer the vehicle for rent to his neighbors as an option for "sustainable driving." He even installed 2 kilowatts of photovoltaics, or solar panels, at his home specifically to power the car for up to 14,000 miles a year.

Last year, Rose installed a solar greenhouse aimed at extending the growing season so he and his neighbors could grow their own vegetables year round.

"Part of the goal was not just building homes but also to build a sustainable community which includes transportation and food — a quality of life," he said.

Net-zero living

The website for Garden Atriums bills the neighborhood as one of the "foremost energy efficient and eco-friendly residential communities in the country." The specially designed homes, according to the website, are meant to provide residents with a "totally sustainable living space" with heating, cooling and power designed to be zero cost.

Rose said Garden Atriums' aim is to provide "net-zero" living, which means having zero net energy consumption and no carbon emissions. The homes are outfitted with solar panels, geothermal HVAC systems, solar water heaters, wells and cisterns for utilizing non-potable water. The homes are also built using organic materials like wool carpeting, solid wood cabinetry and special paint that emits less noxious fumes.

The most striking features of the homes are the atriums in the central living space of each house that provide natural light and heating. Each atrium consists of glass ceiling panels with a variety of plants growing in the floor throughout the living room. Rose's living room has everything from ferns to 14-foot trees.

Rose said his home, which is more than 4,000 square feet, has an average power bill of $45 a month and a water bill of about $3.50 a month. He owns a second home in the community that is currently vacant, which Rose said had no power bill all summer thanks to energy credits from the solar panels.

Other Garden Atriums residents, most of whom have smaller homes of around 2,300 square feet, said their power bills ranged from $20 a month in the winter to $150 in the summer. Hollie Stephens said her power bills have declined over time as her home has built up more solar credits. Yo Derni said a federal tax credit for solar panels pays as much as $1,000 and can cover her home's power bills for most of the year.

Derni and Stephens don't have water bills because their homes are on private wells and cisterns.

Achieving net-zero living depends on how a homeowner or builder defines it.

"The net-zero function depends on the terms you use to calculate carbon costs to construct the home and operate the home," said William and Mary professor Randy Chambers, who is a member of the college's Committee on Sustainability.

Chambers said variables like precise building construction or installation of solar panels or water treatment areas can affect the efficiency of a sustainable home. The number of appliances a homeowner uses can also affect efficiency.

"The over-use of energy-sapping appliances like a clothes drier or any appliances that are not Energy-Star rated can deplete electronic stores generated by photovoltaics," he said.

Creating a net-zero community is also easier when the dwellings are in a multifamily construction that can share utilities, he said.

"From a cost standpoint, stand-alone dwellings are more difficult to achieve net zero than are community dwellings," Chambers said.

Tough sell

Rose and Duncan built their home in 2002 before building three more spec houses in 2005 and 2006. According to property records, one of the homes sold shortly after it was built but another home didn't sell until 2010. Rose still owns one spec home that never sold. The last two homes were built in 2008 and 2011 for specific buyers.

All other factors aside, Rose said the collapse of the housing market in late 2008 and 2009 made it extremely challenging for anyone to sell a home.